Top 100

Welcome to the 4th Asian Awards Top 100 (2014). The Top 100 is an annual list of the most influential Asians on the planet compiled from our Asian Awards long list each year.
Our long list consists of around 250 people each year across all categories and the Asian 100 consists of the top subset of that chosen by our judges. The Top 100 is hand delivered to everyone of the listees representing a great opportunity for sponsors to reach this influential list of people. The Top 100 is an annual publication and was first launched in April 2013. The 5th Asian Awards Top 100 will be launched in April 2015.

Xi Jinping. With over 1.3 billion subjects under his rule, the world’s largest army under his control, and the world’s second largest economy behind him, it is maybe no surprise to see the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China sitting atop the list. In terms of influence it would be a struggle to argue for anyone else. Born on 15 June 1953 in Beijing, Xi Jinping was always destined for politics, being the son of the former Vice Premier of China. He joined the Communist Youth League in 1971 at the age of 18, then three years later moved into the Communist Party of China. As well as going into Politics at a young age, Xi Jinping is well educated, having studied Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He now sits as one of the most powerful men in the world, leading China into new eras of growth and expansion. It would be unsurprising to see Xi Jinping remain at the top of the list for many years to come.

2

Sonia Gandhi

India

Politics

Sonia Gandhi. An Italian born politician of Indian descent, Sonia Gandhi is the current Chairperson of the National Advisory Council of India and President of the Indian National Congress Party. She is also the Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, who rule the Lok Sabha, the Indian Lower Political house and also the most powerful, with the ability to instigate a vote of no confidence in the upper house, removing them from office. She is also the widow of the assassinated former prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. She has also served as leader of the opposition. In 2010, Forbes Magazine ranked Sonia Gandhi as the ninth most powerful person on the planet.

3

Li Keqiang

China

Politics

Li Keqiang. Li Keqiang is the Premier of the People's Republic of China and Secretary of the Chinese State Council. The role of Premier means Li is China's head of government as well as the leading figure behind its economic policy, including China’s foreign investment budget of over 1 trillion USD. He is also the second ranked member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee, arguably the most powerful decision-making body of the country. From 2008 to 2013 Li served as the Executive Vice-Premier before stepping up to become Premier in 2013. Li is known for his forward thinking policies to tackle the issues caused by China’s growing economy, including affordable housing and industrialisation.

4

Narendra Modi

India

Politics

Narendra Damodardas Modi is an Indian politician and is the 14th Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance for the upcoming 2014 Indian general elections. Modi is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is described as a Hindu Nationalist by media, scholars and himself. Modi is tipped to become the next Prime Minister of India.

5

Rahul Gandhi

India

Politics

Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi was born in Delhi on 19 June 1970, as the first of the two children of Rajiv Gandhi, who later became the Prime Minister of India, and number two entry in the top 100 Sonia Gandhi, who later became President of Indian National Congress, and as the grandson of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He is also the great-grandson of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Rahul Gandhi is now the Vice President of the Indian National Congress and the Chairperson of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India. Gandhi has served as the General Secretary in the All India Congress Committee and represents Amethi as its Member of Parliament (MP). He is the second-ranked member of the Congress Working Committee. He is also tipped to be the next prime minister of India.

6

Manmohan Singh

India

Politics

Manmohan Singh. The 13th and incumbent prime minister of India debuts at number four on the list. With around 1.2 billion subjects under his rule and a GDP of nearly 2 trillion USD, there are plenty of reasons why Singh scores so highly in terms of influence. Born September 26th 1932, Manmohan Singh is the first Sikh to hold the office of prime minister. A renowned economist, Singh is credited for liberalising India’s economy and therefore averting a potential financial crisis. His work as finance minister paved the way for his succession into the role as prime minister, despite a spell as leader of the opposition. The recipient of multiple awards for both economics and philanthropy, Manmohan Singh is a worthy holder of the number four spot.

7

Li Ka Shing

Hong Kong

Business

Sir Li Ka Shing. The Honourable Sir Li Ka Shing is the first non-political entry on the list. A Hong Kong based business tycoon focussed with interests as diverse as real-estate and shipping to beauty treatments and health products, Sir Li is ranked as the 8th richest person in the world, with a personal net worth in excess of 31 billion USD. His companies account for an incredible 15% of the total Hong Kong stock exchange, giving his decisions a weight that far exceeds the impact they have on just his businesses. Despite his phenomenal wealth, Sir Li is well known for his simple dress sense and his charitable work, with a reported 1.4 billion dollars worth of charitable donations made to date. The combination of philanthropy and fiscal dominance give Sir Li an unchallenged place within the list.

8

Ban Ki-Moon

Korea

Politics

Ban Ki-Moon. Ban Ki-Moon is the current UN Secretary General. Born in South Korea in 1944, Ban studied International Relations at Seoul University, moving into diplomacy following on from his graduation. He then served as the Korean foreign Minister, using his worldwide network of contacts to support his petition for the role of secretary general. Ban was then elected to the role, succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Ban Ki-Moon has received a plethora of prestigious awards from around the globe recognising his scholarly and humanitarian achievements. With the UN under his influence and a wealth of international diplomatic contacts, Ban Ki-Moon carries more influence than many world leaders, making him a strong addition to the top 100.

9

Shinzo Abe

Japan

Politics

Shinzo Abe. The current prime minister of Japan was born into politics. The grandson of a former Japanese Prime Minister, as well as the son of a politician, Abe grew up in a world of politics, studying Political Science at Seikei University. After a brief sojourn at a major steel company, Abe took on a number of political roles including Minister for Foreign affairs, so expanding his political influence beyond the borders of Japan. Since then Abe has been elected, defeated and subsequently re-elected as prime minister, with his hard line stance on protecting Japan from the world financial crisis seen as a key factor in his re election. Shinzo Abe was Japan’s youngest prime minister since world war two when he was first elected at the age of 52.

10

Park Geun-Hye

Korea

Politics

Park Geun-Hye. Park Geun-Hye is the eleventh President of South Korea and the first woman ever to hold the title. She is also the first female entry on the top 100. The daughter of the third president of South Korea, Park moved into politics at a young age following on from her studies in both Korea and briefly in France. Serving multiple terms as a constituency representative, Park was also a member of the National Korean Assembly. Now serving as President with over 50 million subjects, Park has lead South Korea to a position of power on the world stage, with her economy focused policies and business initiatives helping South Korea to continually grown and develop.

11

Palaniappan Chidambaram

India

Politics

Chidambaram Palaniappan is an Indian politician, a member of the Indian National Congress and the current Union Minister of Finance of the Republic of India. He also served as the Finance Minister from 2004 to 2008. After this, Chidambaram was made the Home Affairs Minister. After a three and a half-year stint as Home Minister, Chidambaram returned to his previous role as Finance Minister, succeeding Manmohan Singh.

12

Lou Jiwei

China

Banking/Economics

Lou Jiwei. Chinese politician Lou Jiwei is the Chinese Minister of Finance, having also served as the President of the CIC, China’s sovereign investment fund with total assets of over 1 trillion USD. Jiwei is also credited with revolutionising the Chinese taxation system.

13

Haruhiko Kuroda

Japan

Banking/Economics

Born in 1944, Haruhiko Kuroda, is the 31st and current Governor of the Bank of Japan. He studied at the University of Tokyo and University of Oxford and was formerly the President of the Asian Development Bank from 1 February 2005 to18 March 2013. Kuroda has been an advocate of looser monetary policy in Japan.

14

Aung San Suu Kyi

Burma

Politics

Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Aung Sang Suu Kyi is the leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma, a renowned political activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. She has dedicated her life to promoting human rights and democracy in her home country of Burma, gaining international recognition for her work along the way. Due to her work against the Burmese Government she remained under arrest for over 15 years, making her one of the world’s best known political prisoners. Committed to non violent methods of protest, Suu Kyi is a devout Buddhist, using philosophies from the religion to guide her methods of protest.

15

NoyNoy Aquino

Philippines

Politics

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th President of the Philippines since June 2010. Aquino is a fourth-generation politician: his great-grandfather, Servillano "Mianong" Aquino, served as a delegate to the Malolos Congress; his grandfather, Benigno Aquino, Sr., served as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from 1943 to 1944; and his parents were President Corazon Aquino and Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. Aquino is a member of the Liberal Party. In the Liberal Party, Aquino held various positions such as Secretary General and Vice President for Luzon. Aquino is the Chairman of the Liberal Party.

16

Susilo Yudhoyono

Indonesia

Politics

Susilo Yudhoyono. More commonly known in Indonesia as SBY, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the current president of Indonesia, with over 242 million subjects under his direct leadership. A former Army General, Yudhoyono trained initially in Indonesia before moving to America to train as a Ranger. He also undertook further military training across Europe and Malaysia, leading to him rising to the rank of General and serving as Indonesia's chief military observer of the United Nation Peacekeeping Force in Bosnia.

17

Akio Toyoda

Japan

Business

Akio Toyoda. Born In Nagoya, the third largest city in Japan, Akio Toyoda is the current CEO and President of Toyota Motor Corporation, the 11th largest company in the world by revenue. He joined Toyota in 1984 and worked in several high level positions before becoming president in 2009. He has an estimated personal wealth of around 1 billion USD.

18

Ashfaq Kayani

Pakistan

Politics

Ashfaq Kayani. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is a four star General and the current chief of staff of the Pakistani Army. With over 620,000 troops under his command and at the time of writing no incumbent Prime Minister, Kayani is arguably the most powerful man in Pakistan. The former Director of the Pakistani Secret Service (ISI), Kayani is responsible for the withdrawal of military influence from offices throughout the Pakistani government, changing the political influence of the army within the country.

19

Pranab Mukherjee

India

Politics

Pranab Mukherjee. Born in Bengal in 1935, Pranab Mukherjee is the 13th and current president of India, in office since 2012. Whilst the position is largely ceremonial, Mukherjee has served as a top trouble shooter in the Indian National Congress, serving in several positions of office within the Party.

20

Kim Jong-Un

North Korea

Politics

Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un is the Supreme Leader of North Korea. He is the son of the previous Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il. He is married and has a daughter.

21

Mukesh Ambani

India

Business

Mukesh Ambani. Indian Business Magnate Mukesh Ambani made his 21.5 billion USD fortune through Reliance Industries Limited, India’s most valuable company by market value. From textiles to natural resources, RIL is a true business conglomerate, with multiple interests and areas of business. He lives in a 27 story building in Mumbai called Antilia, believed to be worth in excess of 2 billion USD, making it the most expensive home in the world. Mukesh Ambani joined Reliance Industries in 1987. His business idea was to gradually take over the entire production chain for the products reliance made, driving profitability. Mukesh Ambani also set up Reliance Communications Limited, which focused on information and communications technology initiatives.

22

Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh

Politics

Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina boasts a political career spanning over 40 years and encompassing multiple appointments as both the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and leader of the opposition. She currently serves as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, her second appointment to the role. Hasina has been an activist her whole life, making her the target of an assassination attempt in 2009 and causing her to spend multiple terms in prison under the direction of opposing political parties. Hasina is also a member of the Council for Women World Leaders, a group of current and former female world leaders who work together to promote the development of women across the globe.

23

Margaret Chan

Hong Kong

Politics

Margaret Chan. Margaret Chan is the 7th and current president of the World Health Organisation. Having initially trained as a teacher, Chan then moved into politics as a medical officer in Hong Kong, subsequently rising to the position of Director of Health of Hong Kong. Her experience and contacts allowed her to then move across to the WHO, where she remains as president.

24

Lui Che Woo

China

Banking/Economics

Lui Che Woo. Dr. Lui Che Woo was born in Jiangmen, China in August 1929. Now personally worth 22.5 billion USD, Woo is currently Chairman of K. Wah Group. K. Wah has developed into a multi-national conglomerate involving properties, entertainment &amp; leisure, construction materials and hotels with over 200 subsidiaries and more than 25,000 employees in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Macau, North America and Southeast Asia. In the 1990s K. Wah established themselves in mainland China, continuing to operate as the largest owner and operator of casinos in the country.

25

Peng Liyuan

China

Politics

Peng Liyuan is a renowned Chinese contemporary folk singer and performing artist. She is the wife of current Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and as such referred to as the "Chinese First Lady" by American and Chinese media. Peng is the Dean of the People's Liberation Army Art Academy. She gained popularity as a soprano singer from her regular appearances on the annual CCTV New Year's Gala, a widely viewed mainland Chinese television program that airs during the Chinese New Year.

26

Yingluck Shinawatra

Thailand

Politics

Yingluck Shinawatra. Yingluck Shinawatra is the current president of Thailand, having been elected in 2011. Born in Thailand but of Chinese Descent, Shinawatra studied in both Thailand and America before working on the board of several large companies. Initially reluctant to move into the world of Politics, it took over a year of persuading for her to become leader of the Pheu Thai party. Eventually she ran for president with policies including raising the national minimum wages and subsidising key businesses. The election victory was a landslide.

27

Lee Shau-kee

Hong Kong

Business

Lee Shau-kee. Lee Shau-kee is the second richest man in Hong Kong and the 24th richest man in the world, according to Forbes. His personal fortune is estimated at 20.3 Billion USD was made initially through property development, before he diversified into hotels, restaurants and the internet.

28

Sri Mulyani Indrawati

Indonesia

Business

Sri Mulyani Indrawati is an Indonesian economist. In June 2010 she was appointed the Managing Director of the World Bank Group, and resigned as Finance Minister of Indonesia in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet. As Indonesian finance minister from 2005 to 2010, Sri Mulyani was known as a tough reformist and was largely credited with strengthening Indonesia's economy, increasing investments and steering Southeast Asia's largest economy through the 2007-10 financial crisis. In 2011, she was ranked as the 65th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine.

29

Najib Razak

Malaysia

Politics

Najib Razak. Born on the 23rd July 1953, Razak is the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, elected in 2009. Destined for Political greatness, Razak is the son of Malaysia's second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak and the nephew of Malaysia's third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn. Razak also holds the title of the Minister of Finance.

30

Cheng Yu-Tung

Hong Kong

Business

Cheng Yu-tung. Cheng Yu-tung is a retired Hong Kong Business Magnate, with a personal net worth estimated at 16 billion USD, making him the 44th richest person in the world. Before his retirement he grew his wealth from a Jewellery business, which he subsequently diversified into property development and shipping. He also sits on the board of the Hang-Seng bank.

31

Thein Sein

Burma

Politics

Thein Sein. Since March 2011, Thein Sein has been president of Burma, instigating a number of reforms including the freeing of political prisoners, deregulation of the state controlled media and allowing previously exiled political figures back into the country. Sein’s actions have lead to economic boosts as the US lifted trade sanctions and improved their relationship with Burma, as well as dramatically improving the standard of living for thousands of Burmese residents.

32

Tadashi Yanai

Japan

Business

Tadashi Yanai. Born in Japan, Tadashi Yanai founded the largest clothing retailer in Asia, Fast Retailing. Yanai is estimated to be worth around 15.5 billion USD, making him the richest man in Japan. He received the Retailer of the Year Award in 2010 from the US based National Retail Federation.

33

Oh-Hyun Kwon

Korea

Business

Dr. Oh-Hyun Kwon, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, also leads the Device Solutions, the organization that oversees the core component businesses of Samsung Electronics, including its Memory Business, System LSI Business and LED Business. Since Dr. Kwon joined Samsung Electronics' Semiconductor Business in 1985, he has played a pivotal role in Samsung Electronics' rapid advance in the semiconductor industry. Samsung employs over 370,000 people worldwide and has annual revenues of around $275 billion USD with a net income of just over $20bn.

34

Mahinda Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka

Politics

Mahinda Rajapaksa. The 6th serving president of Sri Lanka and commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces, Mahinda Rajapaksa has over 20 million subjects under his rule. Rajapaksa studied at the Sri Lankan Law College. Whilst at university he also considered being an actor, subsequently making several cameo appearances in Sinhalese Movies. Rajapaksa is now serving his second successive 6 year term in office.

35

Ram Baran Yadav

Nepal

Politics

Ram Baran Yadav. The first ever president of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav began his political career whilst studying medicine in India. Unhappy with the political system in his native Nepal, he began campaigning for a multi party democracy as part of the Nepali Congress party, a party which he subsequently became president of.

36

Lakshmi Mittal

India

Business

Lakshmi Mittal. Indian Business Magnate Lakshmi Mittal has an estimated personal net worth of 16.5 billion USD, making him the second richest person of Indian citizenship. He made his fortune through steel manufacturing before diversifying, and currently resides in England. He owns a substantial share in Queen’s Park Rangers football team.

37

Tenzin Gyatso

Tibet

Religion/Philosophy

Tenzin Gyatso. Better known by his religious title, the 14th Dalai Lama is also the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his work advancing the cause of Tibetan people. Gyatso is also the longest living incumbent Dalai Lama, having been officially recognised in November 1950 at the age of 15.

38

Gao Xiqing

China

Banking/Economics

Gao Xiqing. The President of the CIC, China’s sovereign investment fund, Gao Xiqing is responsible for China’s overseas investment portfolio. Under his direction it is estimated to have grown in two years from 200 billion USD to nearly 500 billion USD. He studied in both America and China before beginning his career in Chinese economic politics.

39

Masayoshi Son

Japan

Business

Masayoshi Son. Masayoshi Son is a Japanese businessman and the founder and current chief executive officer of SoftBank, and the chief executive officer of SoftBank Mobile. He is estimated to be worth around 9.1 billion USD and he is the second richest man in Japan. He also holds the dubious honour of being the person who has lost the most money in history, having lost approximately 70 billion USD in the dot com crash of 2000.

40

Malala Yousafzai

Pakistan

Religion/Philosophy

Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. As a child, she became an advocate for girls' education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school. She survived, and has continued to speak out on the importance of education. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, and again in 2014. She is a children's and women's rights activist.

41

Andrew Sheng

China

Business/Economics

Andrew Sheng is the President of Fung Global Institute, a Hong Kong based global think tank. He served as chairman of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) before his replacement in 2005. In 2013, Sheng was awarded by the Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute as Honorary Fellow. In 2013, TIME named Sheng as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

42

Mamata Banerjee

India

Politics

Mamata Banerjee. Born in Calcutta, Mamata Banerjee is the 11th and incumbent chief minister of West Bengal. Banerjee previously served as a Minister of Railways twice and is also the first women Railway Minister of India,[8] Minister of Coal, and Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Department of Youth Affairs and Sports and Women and Child Development in the cabinet of the Indian government. She is renowned for challenging the previous government’s plans for forced land acquisition off of private citizens.

43

Robert Kuok

Malaysia

Business

Robert Kuok. Malaysian Tycoon Robert Kuok made his 12.5 billion USD fortune in the export of palm oil, sugar, real estate and shipping. He owns a stake in the world’s largest palm oil manufacturer, which is run by his nephew.

44

Azim Premji

India

Business

Azim Premji. Indian Business Tycoon Azim Premji is estimated to be worth 11.2 billion USD, making him the 41st richest man in the world according to Forbes. He is also a renowned philanthropist, having made the single largest charitable donation in India’s history of 2 billion USD to improving schools in India. He has received multiple awards recognising both his business acumen and charitable donations, and was the first Indian to take “the giving pledge,” a charity where those of extreme wealth pledge to donate most of their money to charitable causes.

45

Ren Zhengfei

China

Business

Ren Zhengfei is a Chinese businessman. He is the president of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, and an ex-People's Liberation Army officer. Forbes magazine listed Ren as the 193th richest person in China in 2013 with private assets of approximately $920 million USD.

46

Anna Hazare

India

Politics

Anna Hazare. Born Kisan Baburao Hazare but more commonly known as Anna, Hazare is an Indian social activist who has led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and to investigate and punish official corruption. In addition to organizing and encouraging grassroots movements, Hazare frequently conducts hunger strikes to further his causes. Hazare also contributed to the development and structuring of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Maharashtra, India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, their third-highest civilian award, by the Government of India in 1992 for his efforts in establishing this village as a model for others.

47

Indra Nooyi

India

Business

Indra Nooyi. Indra Nooyi is CEO of PepsiCo. Born in India, Nooyi studied in Madras before gaining entry to the Yale School of Management in America. She is credited with boosting revenue of the beverage giant by as much as 78% in her time as CFO, before becoming CEO in 2006. Nooyi consistently ranks near the top of Forbes 100 most powerful women in the world.

48

Hun Sen

Cambodia

Politics

Hun Sen. Hun Sen is the current president of Cambodia and leader of the Cambodian People’s Party. Hun Sen has over 14 million subjects under his rule and has been president since 1998. He was active in the military before becoming politics, with one war wound leading to him having a glass eye.

49

Pony Ma

China

Business

Pony Ma is the founder and CEO of Tencent Holdings, China's largest publicly traded Internet company measured by market capitalization . Ma has ascended into the No. 2 spot among mainland China's wealthiest on the strength of Tencent's share price, which has doubled in the past year. The company's main website qq.com regularly ranks among the world's 10 most popular. He is ranked #78 on the Bloomberg Billionaire list with an estimated net worth of $13.3B.

50

Norovyn Altankhuyag

Mongolia

Politics

Norovyn Altankhuyag. Mongolian born career politician Norovyn Altankhuyag is the current Prime Minister of Mongolia and the leader of the Democratic Party of Mongolia. He became Prime Minister in 2012.

51

Wang Jianlin

China

Business

The richest man on mainland China, Wang Jianlin, owns 75 department stores, 85 shopping plazas and 51 five star hotels. After buying U.S. movie chain AMC in 2012, Wang listed it on the New York Stock Exchange in December. He flew in celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio and John Travolta to help launch an $8 billion mini-Hollywood in the coastal city of Qingdao in September 2013. He is ranked #76 on the Bloomberg Billionaire list with an estimated net with of $13.6B.

52

Amartya Kumar Sen

India

Religion/Philosophy

Amartya Kumar. Born in India during November 1933, Kumar is an Indian Author, Economist a Nobel Prize winner. His work has helped to create the UN Human Development Index, fighting poverty and famine in the world’s poorest regions. His books have been translated into over 30 languages and are renowned the world over. He is also the first non US citizen to receive the National Humanities Medal, recognising his significant contributions towards tackling poverty.

53

Bruno Mars

Philippines

Entertainment

Bruno Mars. Bruno Mars was born in Hawaii to parents of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent. He is now a global superstar with two successful albums and credits for co writing songs for other artists such as Flo Rida and B.O.B. His birth name is Peter Gene Hernandez.

54

Chanda Kocchar

India

Business

Chanda Kochhar is the managing director (MD) of ICICI Bank and its chief executive officer (CEO). ICICI Bank is India's largest private bank and overall second largest bank in the country. Kochhar was ranked as the most powerful business woman in India in Forbes' list of 'The World's 100 Most Powerful Women 2013'.

55

Cher Wang

Taiwan

Business

Cher Wang. Co Founder and CEO of HTC, Cher Wang was born in Taiwan in 1958. Wang studied in America and now heads one of the largest mobile phone and tablet companies in the world. She is also known for her philanthropy and charitable donations, including the donation of 6000 tablet computers to schools in Taiwan. Her estimated net worth is around 8.8 billion USD.

56

Sir Ben Kingsley

India

Entertainment

Sir Ben Kingsley. Born Krishna Pandit Bhanji, film star sir Ben Kingsley is one of the most decorated film stars of the last three decades. He was knighted in 2002 for his contributions to film and also has a star on the Hollywood hall of fame. Sir Ben was born in England to a father of Indian descent. He has an estimated worth of around 40 million USD.

57

Robin Li

China

Business

Robin Li. Robin Li is the Chinese founder of Baidu, China’s most popular internet search anything. With an estimated worth of 6.9 billion USD he is the fourth richest man in China. Li Studied in both China and America before founding Baidu, which was listed on NASDAQ in 2005.

58

Jackie Chan

China

Entertainment

Jackie Chan. Born in Hong Kong in 1954, Jackie Chan (real name Chan Kong-sang) rose to fame as an actor and singer, starring in over 50 films and having released 20 albums across Asia. Chan holds the Guinness world record for “most stunts by a living actor” due to his insistence on performing all of his own stunts in his films. He has an estimated net worth of 130 million USD, which he recently announced would be passed entirely to charity upon his death.

59

Ela Ramesh Bhatt

India

Politics

Ela Bhatt. Born in India in 1933, Ela Remesh Bhatt is a women’s rights activist and the founder of the Self Employed Women’s Association of India. She is also a published author and has won several awards for her work on developing women’s rights in India, including an honorary doctorate from Harvard University in America.

60

Tiger Woods

Philippines

Sports

Tiger Woods. Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods is possibly the most famous name in golf, having earned a personal fortune of over 600 million USD from a combination of prize money, sponsorship deals and investments. His mother is of Thai descent.

61

Wang Yang

China

Politics

Wang Yang. Born in 1955 in the Anhui district of China, Wang Yang is one of 4 serving Vice Premiers of China. Wang joined the People’s Communist Party of China in 1975, going on to study political economics at the Central Party School of China.

62

Perry Chen

China

Business

Perry Chen is an American Internet entrepreneur best known for co-founding the social fundraising website Kickstarter. He was listed by Fast Company as 74th in the ranking of "the most creative people in business" in 2010. Chen was named in the Time 100 most influential people in the world.

63

Amitabh Bachchan

India

Entertainment

Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first began acting in 1970, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades. Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. He occupied the top slot of Box Office India's Top Actors list for a record sixteen consecutive years. Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards as Best Actor. He is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 37 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001 for his contributions towards the arts.

64

Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh

Banking/Economics

Muhammad Yunus. Nobel Prize winning economist Muhammad Yunus was born in Bangladesh. He studied in India and was a university lecturer before working in various governmental and financial institutions. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his micro-credit scheme, which supported entrepreneurs with little or no assets to allow them to build self sustaining businesses.

65

Deepak Chopra

India

Religion/Philosophy

Deepak Chopra. Born in India in 1947, Deepak Chopra is a worldwide advocate of alternative medicine and holistic remedies. He taught medicine for several years at universities in both India and America before changing his focus to alternative medicine. He founded the Chopra institute to advance health and wellbeing through holistic methods. He is also a published author with over 70 books to his name and is estimated to be worth around 80 million USD.

66

Rajnikanth

India

Entertainment

Rajnikanth. Born 12 Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award–winning Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal (1975). After a brief phase of portraying antagonistic characters in Tamil films, he gradually rose to become an established film actor. After being paid 4.8 million USD for his role in Sivaji (2007), he became the highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan. Rajinikanth has worked in over 150 films across various film industries of India. He was bestowed the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour in 2000.

67

Pallonji Mistry

India

Business

Pallonji Mistry. Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry is an Irish construction tycoon of Parsi descent, and chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji Group. According to Forbes, his wealth is estimated to be 10.5 billion USD, making him the single wealthiest person of Parsi descent in the world.

68

Aamir Khan

India

Entertainment

Aamir Khan. Aamir Khan is an Indian film actor, director, and producer who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Bollywood. He started his career as a child actor in his Uncle Nasir Hussain's film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). Khan began his professional career eleven years later with Holi (1984) and had his first commercial success with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). He received his first National Film Award as a Special Jury Award for his roles in the films Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Raakh (1989).

69

Dilip Shanghvi

India

Business

Dilip Shangvhi. Dilip Shanghvi is the founder and managing director of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited. Sun Pharma was founded in 1982 and it is currently the fifth-largest drugmaker in India. Shangvi himself has a personal net worth of 9.4 billion USD.

70

Li Na

China

Sports

Li Na is a Chinese professional tennis player. As of April 2 2013, Li has won 7 WTA and 19 ITF singles titles. Li won the 2011 French Open singles title, becoming the first player from Asia to win a Grand Slam in singles; she had already reached the final of the 2011 Australian Open, the first player from an Asian country to appear in a Grand Slam singles final. She was also the runner-up at the 2013 Australian Open, a two-time quarter-finalist at Wimbledon and a
quarter-finalist at the 2009 US Open. Her career-high singles ranking is World No. 4 (June 2011) and is currently the
World No. 2 and Chinese No. 1.

71

Andy Lau

China

Entertainment

Andy Lau. Andy Lau is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, presenter and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time. In 2005, Lau was awarded &quot;No.1 Box Office Actor 1985-2005&quot; of Hong Kong, turning over a staggering total box office revenue of over 1 billion HKD for shooting 108 films in the past 20 years. He also entered into Guinness World Records for &quot;Most Awards Won by a Cantopop Male Artist&quot;. In April 2000, he had won a total of 292 awards.

72

Zong Qinghou

China

Business

Zong Qinghou. The richest man in China, Zong Qinghou heads up the countries largest soft drinks manufacturer, Wahaha. With an estimated net worth of 11.6 billion USD, Zong is also moving into importing goods into mainland china via a network of boutique stores.

73

Nicki Minaj

India

Entertainment

Nicki Minaj. Onika Tanya Maraj, known by her stage name Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born American rapper of Indian descent. Her debut studio album Pink Friday (2010) peaked atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the month after its release. She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.

74

Manny Pacquiao

Philippines

Sports

Manny Pacquiao. The first sporting entry on the top 100, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer with ten world titles to his name. He is also a member of the Filipino House of Representatives, representing the state of Sarangani. He also holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Filipino Reserve Army

75

Zhang Xin

China

Business

Zhang Xin is the CEO of Soho China, one of the largest property developers in China, which she founded with her husband Pan in Beijing in 1995. Ranked among the world's most powerful women by Forbes, she is a bonafide celebrity in China. She has a personal net worth of over 4 billion USD.

76

Sachin Tendulkar

India

Sports

Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer considered by some to be the greatest batsman in One Day Internationals and second only to Don Bradman in the all time greatest list in Test cricket. Tendulkar was a part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team in the later part of his career, his first such win in six World Cup appearances for India. He was also the recipient of &quot;Player of the Tournament&quot; award of the 2003 Cricket World Cup held in South Africa.

77

Jack Ma

China

Business

Jack Ma is founder of Alibaba Group. He remains executive chairman and continues to shape the Group's business strategy and management development. Jack's personal wealth is estimated at 11.4 billion USD.

78

Jay Chou

Taiwan

Entertainment

Jay Chou. Jay Chou was born in January 1979 in Taiwan. He is a musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor, multi-instrumentalist and director. In 1998 he was discovered in a talent contest where he displayed his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular Mandarin singers. Although he was trained in classical music, Chou combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&amp;B, rock and pop genres.

79

Shiv Nadar

India

Business

Shiv Nadar is an Indian industrialist and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of HCL and the Shiv Nadar Foundation. As of 2014, his personal wealth is estimated at $11.1 billion.

80

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Pakistan

Journalism

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is an Emmy and Oscar award-winning Pakistani-Canadian journalist and documentary filmmaker, specialising in issues including racism and the treatment of women in Pakistan. She is also the first non-American to win the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.

81

Wang Shu

China

Business

Wang Shu is a Chinese architect based in China. He is the dean of the School of Architecture of the China Academy of Art. In 2012, Wang became the first Chinese citizen to win the Pritzker Prize, the world's top prize in architecture.

82

Anjali Gopalan

India

Politics

Anjali Gopalan. A lifelong human rights activist, Anjali Gopalan was born in India, the daughter of an Indian Air Force officer. She is the founder of Naz Group, a charitable organisation dedicated to combating AIDS/HIV in poor communities. She also established Delhi’s first AIDS clinic in 1994.

83

Lee Kun Hee

Korea

Business

Lee Kun-hee. Born in South Korea, Lee Kun-hee is Chairman of Samsung Electronics. He speaks Korean, English, and Japanese. In 1996, Lee became a member of the International Olympic Committee. With an estimated net worth of 13 billion USD, he and his family rank among the Forbes richest people in the world. He is the third son of Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chull. Hee was instrumental in the successful third attempt to bring the 2018 Winter Olympics to Pyeongchang.

84

Aishwarya Rai

India

Entertainment

Aishwarya Rai. Indian actress, model and former Miss World winner, Aishwarya Rai is also known for her philanthropy. She is a UN Microcredit spokesperson, a supporter of Animal rights in India and an ambassador for the joint UN AIDS program.

85

Ang Lee

Taiwan

Entertainment

Ang Lee. Ang Lee is a Taiwanese-American film director and the first Asian to win an Academy award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for best director for his film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Lee has directed blockbusters including the life of Pi, where he convinced 20th Century fox to invest over 120 million USD into the production.

86

Fan Bingbing

China

Entertainment

Fan Bingbing. Fan Bingbing is a Chinese actress, singer and producer. She was born in Qingdao, Shandong, and raised in Yantai, Shandong. She was ranked No. 1 in &quot;50 Most Beautiful People in China&quot; list in 2010 by the newspaper Beijing News. She attended the opening ceremony of 65th Cannes Film Festival as the only Asian global spokesperson on behalf of Paris L’Oreal.

87

Mindy Kaling

India

Entertainment

Mindy Kaling, is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer best known for portraying Kelly Kapoor on the NBC sitcom The Office and creating and starring as Mindy Lahiri in the Fox sitcom The Mindy Project. Kaling was recognized by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

88

Jet Li

China

Entertainment

Jet Li. Jet Li (born Li Lianjie), is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and wushu champion who was born in Beijing. Li has been a &quot;philanthropic ambassador&quot; of the Red Cross Society of China since January 2006. In April 2007, touched by his life-shaking experience in the Maldives when he was close to dying during the 2004 tsunami, Li formed his own non-profit foundation called The One Foundation.

89

Kai Fu Lee

China

Business

Dr. Kai-Fu Lee is the Founder of Innovation Works. He served as Vice President, Engineering of Google Inc., and President of its Chinese Operations since July 2005. He is widely known for his pioneering work in the areas of speech recognition and artificial intelligence.

Norah Jones. Daughter of Indian musician Ravi Shankar, Norah Jones is a singer and songwriter who has released 5 albums and won 9 Grammy awards for her work. She has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.

92

Faye Wong

China

Entertainment

Faye Wong. Faye Wong is a Chinese singer-songwriter and actress. Born in Beijing, she moved to British Hong Kong in 1987 and came to public attention in the early 1990s by singing ballads in Cantonese. Since 1995 she has recorded mostly in her native Mandarin, often combining alternative music with mainstream Chinese pop. In 2000 she was recognized by Guinness World Records as the Best Selling Canto-Pop Female.

93

Chow Yun Fat

China

Entertainment

Chow Yun Fat. Chow Yun Fat is a Hong Kong born actor, estimated to be worth over 300 million USD. He has appeared in over 100 films including blockbuster releases such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He has won three Hong Kong film awards for best actor.

94

Tsai Eng-Meng

China

Business

Tsai is Chairman at Want Want China Holdings Ltd and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. He began his career in the food industry in 1976 and has very good knowledge of the industry with more than twenty-five years of experience. He has a personal net worth of over 10 billion USD.

95

Ichiro Suzuki

Japan

Sports

Ichiro Suzuki. Better known simply as Ichiro, Ichiro Suzuki is a Japanese-born professional baseball outfielder who is currently with the New York Yankees. Originally a player in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Ichiro moved to the United States in 2001 to play in MLB for the Seattle Mariners, with whom he spent 12 seasons. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including MLB's single-season record for hits with 262. He had 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons, the longest streak by any player.

96

Russell Peters

India

Entertainment

Russell Peters. Born in Toronto, Russell Peters is a global comedy star and internet sensation. His YouTube clips have been viewed over 75 million times and he has performed to capacity crowds from Toronto’s Air Canada Centre to New York’s Madison Square Garden, from the Sydney Opera House to London’s O2 Arena - where he established a new attendance record. His first book, Call Me Russell, was a number one bestseller.

97

Ananda Krishnan

Malaysia

Business

Ananda Krishnan. With a personal wealth of 11.7 billion USD, Malaysian communications mogul Ananda Krishnan is the 2nd richest man in Malaysia. Whilst media shy, Krishnan is known for his charitable work, notably having helped Bob Geldoff create Live-Aid in the 1980s.

98

Salman Khan

India

Entertainment

Salman Khan. Salman Khan is an Indian film actor, producer &amp; philanthropist. The son of actor and screenwriter Salim Khan, Khan began his acting career in the 1980s. Khan appeared in the highest grossing film in India for nine separate years during his career, a record that remains unbroken. Khan has been involved in several charities during his career. He started a charity called Being Human which is a registered charitable trust for helping the underprivileged.

99

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

India

Sports

Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer. He is the current captain of the Indian national cricket team and the Chennai Super Kings cricket team. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka. He is captain of India in all three forms of the game and also led the team to their first ever bilateral ODI series wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Dhoni also holds the post of Vice-President of India Cements Ltd. (ICL) after resigning from Air India. ICL is the owner of the IPL team Chennai Super Kings, and Dhoni has been its captain since the first edition of IPL.

100

Kumar Mangalam Birla

India

Business

Kumar Birla. Born in India, Kumar Mangalam Birla is an industrialist and the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, the third largest conglomerate in India. He is also the Chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology &amp; Science. He is estimated to be worth 7.9 billion USD.